‘Like a dream?’ suggested Helena.

Rosa answered with a little nod, and smelled the flowers.

Helena resumed, after a short pause of silence, during which she seemed (or it was Rosa’s fancy) to compassionate somebody:  ’My poor Neville is reading in his own room, the sun being so very bright on this side just now.  I think he had better not know that you are so near.’

‘O, I think so too!’ cried Rosa very readily.

‘I suppose,’ pursued Helena, doubtfully, ’that he must know by-and-by all you have told me; but I am not sure.  Ask Mr. Crisparkle’s advice, my darling.  Ask him whether I may tell Neville as much or as little of what you have told me as I think best.’

Rosa subsided into her state-cabin, and propounded the question.  The Minor Canon was for the free exercise of Helena’s judgment.

‘I thank him very much,’ said Helena, when Rosa emerged again with her report.  ’Ask him whether it would be best to wait until any more maligning and pursuing of Neville on the part of this wretch shall disclose itself, or to try to anticipate it:  I mean, so far as to find out whether any such goes on darkly about us?’

The Minor Canon found this point so difficult to give a confident opinion on, that, after two or three attempts and failures, he suggested a reference to Mr. Grewgious.  Helena acquiescing, he betook himself (with a most unsuccessful assumption of lounging indifference) across the quadrangle to P. J. T.’s, and stated it.  Mr. Grewgious held decidedly to the general principle, that if you could steal a march upon a brigand or a wild beast, you had better do it; and he also held decidedly to the special case, that John Jasper was a brigand and a wild beast in combination.

Thus advised, Mr. Crisparkle came back again and reported to Rosa, who in her turn reported to Helena.  She now steadily pursuing her train of thought at her window, considered thereupon.

‘We may count on Mr. Tartar’s readiness to help us, Rosa?’ she inquired.

O yes!  Rosa shyly thought so.  O yes, Rosa shyly believed she could almost answer for it.  But should she ask Mr. Crisparkle?  ’I think your authority on the point as good as his, my dear,’ said Helena, sedately, ‘and you needn’t disappear again for that.’  Odd of Helena!

‘You see, Neville,’ Helena pursued after more reflection, ’knows no one else here:  he has not so much as exchanged a word with any one else here.  If Mr. Tartar would call to see him openly and often; if he would spare a minute for the purpose, frequently; if he would even do so, almost daily; something might come of it.’

‘Something might come of it, dear?’ repeated Rosa, surveying her friend’s beauty with a highly perplexed face.  ‘Something might?’

’If Neville’s movements are really watched, and if the purpose really is to isolate him from all friends and acquaintance and wear his daily life out grain by grain (which would seem to be the threat to you), does it not appear likely,’ said Helena, ’that his enemy would in some way communicate with Mr. Tartar to warn him off from Neville?  In which case, we might not only know the fact, but might know from Mr. Tartar what the terms of the communication were.’